Arctic air advances, ushering in coldest air of the season for some
Cold air will expand across the eastern half of the nation into early week, AccuWeather forecasters warn, ending the growing season in the South.
While parts of the Upper Midwest and New England may receive snow this weekend, a much bigger portion of the country will face sharply lower temperatures.
A sudden taste of winterlike weather is in store for residents across the eastern half of the nation this week, as a dominant surge of Arctic air will be sweeping out of Canada and reaching as far south as the Gulf Coast.
This chilly reality check will serve as a reminder that the start of meteorological winter is rapidly approaching, and with it, the chances for not only a frost or freeze, but also snowflakes.
This frigid pattern will stem from multiple, dramatic southward plunges in the jet stream in the upper levels of the atmosphere, pulling air masses of Arctic origin southward through Canada and into the United States.
Forecasters warn that this pattern will introduce some of the coldest air since last spring or winter and signal the end of the growing season for many that have yet to experience a hard freeze already this autumn.
Abrupt turn to brisk weather
This weekend, the cold air is already moving through portions of the Midwest, Plains and Northeast. Temperatures only reached the 20s and 30s on Saturday afternoon across areas of the Dakotas and Minnesota. Temperatures through the weekend, combined with a brisk breeze, will send AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures tumbling into the teens and even single digits at times.
On Sunday, cold conditions will expand to cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Des Moines and Kansas City, Missouri, with each expected to remain below the 40-degree-Fahrenheit mark during the daytime hours. On Monday, similar daytime temperatures will reach portions of New York state and the Appalachian Mountains.
While the daytime temperatures will be below 40 degrees and even below freezing for some as the frigid air expands southward early this week, an even deeper chill will set in overnight.
"With temperatures expected to drop well below the historical average across the East, businesses should prepare for impacts to outdoor operations, supply chains and infrastructure. Power demand will increase sharply, and risks to unprotected plumbing and irrigation systems will rise," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.
If they haven’t already, communities are encouraged to winterize their homes and businesses. Taking measures such as sealing drafty areas, insulating pipes and draining outdoor faucets are important steps ahead of the winter season.
Additionally, ensuring your home's primary heating source is in working order ahead of needing to utilize it in cold weather can be vital.
Freeze risk to extend through the southeastern US
Sunday night and Monday night, very low overnight temperatures will continue to creep southward through areas of the Mississippi Valley and Southeast states. Even portions of the Florida Panhandle and coastlines are projected to observe low temperatures in the 30s and 40s.
"Widespread lows in the 20s will spread as far south as the interior southeast U.S. by Tuesday morning," stated Duffus.
As the cold air sets in early this week, it will mark the coldest night since last winter for some. Jacksonville, Florida, for example, is forecast to approach the freezing mark Monday night and Tuesday night, roughly 20-25 degrees below the historical average for early November. For context, the last time the region reported an overnight temperature around freezing was late February 2025.
For many locations, the dramatically lower temperatures will begin to rebound by a few degrees heading into midweek. However, the conditions into late week will still generally remain on the cool side compared to what many locations observed over the week prior.
AccuWeather long-range experts point out that temperatures are expected to continue to bounce back as the month goes on, with waves of cold air on the docket for early December.
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